Revised code of practice to help prevent fires on construction sites

Every year, there are numerous major fires on construction sites and in buildings undergoing refurbishment. These events can have severe consequences, including:

• People being injured or killed.
• Buildings of all types destroyed.
• Plant and equipment damaged.
• Work being held up and completion dates not met.

The Fire Prevention on Construction Sites – Joint Code of Practice was initially published in 1992, with the objective of preventing fires on construction sites.

The 10^th edition was released in August, and this revised Code reflects the changes in standards, practice, and use of modern materials in construction.

Hot works

One significant change to note is section 16.15, outlined below, which extends and supplements the fire watch requirements when hot work is undertaken.

Any area specified in a hot work permit must be subject to a continuous fire watch:

(a) The fire watch should be maintained during the period of works by a dedicated individual or individuals where a suitable and sufficient risk assessment indicates the potential for hot work impacts to be more widespread (for example, if the work area is particularly large, multi-level and/or congested; or an opening or thermally conductive assembly extends through a wall). The continuous fire watch should be maintained for at least one hour after work is completed.

(b) Additional checks must be made at regular intervals for a further one hour but may be needed for longer based on a risk assessment. In some cases, completing these checks for up to three hours, or more, might be appropriate after cessation of hot work before the permit is signed off. These further checks should be at intervals of no more than 20 minutes and must include any area(s) on the other side of any wall, partition or ceiling within 10 metres of the area, and/or floors below, in which the hot work has been carried out. In circumstances where such areas fall beyond those to which the contractor has control, liaison with the main contractor should be established to support or enable this activity. The fire watch periods should be extended where determined necessary by a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.

(c) Ideally photographs of the immediate vicinity, adjacent voids and vulnerable spaces should be taken to demonstrate that a fire watch has been undertaken. In all circumstances the fire watch must be maintained during lunch or tea breaks or any other temporary cessations of work. Photographs should be appended to the hot work permit and available for review as part of the sign off process.

(d) Thermographic cameras should be used routinely, before the work is undertaken, during and after the work as part of the fire watch. Their use allows the fire watcher to compare images and ensure the thermographic signatures match pre and post-work, hence checking the area for any potential hot spots. Photographs should be held on record. 

The extended fire watch requirements will add considerable labour cost to hot work activities.

Although this is not a regulatory document, (this is contained in The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005), the objective of this Code, when read in conjunction with HS(G) 168, is the prevention of fires on construction sites.

The scope of this Code applies to projects with an original contract value of £2.5m or above, and applies equally to smaller value contracts which form part of a large project with a value of £20m and above. There may be exceptional circumstances, such as sites with a high risk of fire, where these thresholds are reduced. In cases where the construction contract or the insurance contract does not require this Code to apply, this Code shall serve as ‘best practice’. All parties must always check with their insurance providers on each project.

Apart from risking the health and safety of all persons on the site, if companies fail to comply with the Joint Fire Code:

• insurance may be revoked;
• they may be in breach of the construction contract; and
• they could face possible prosecutions in the event of a fire.